Image forming apparatus, image forming method, and non-transitory computer-readable medium

Abstract

An image forming apparatus includes a receiving unit that receives plural pieces of print data described in plural types of page description languages, plural drawing processors that respectively correspond to the plural types of page description languages, extract specific drawing objects from the plural pieces of print data, and convert the specific drawing objects into print image data, and an output unit that compares the print image data that the drawing processors have converted the specific drawing objects into, and outputs comparison results.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An image forming apparatus comprising:
 a controller configured to receive print data in page description language (PDL) format; 
 a first drawing processor configured to convert a variable drawing object selected from among drawing objects of the print data in the PDL format to first raster image data using a first drawing method that converts print data in the PDL format to raster image data; 
 a second drawing processor configured to convert the variable drawing object to second raster image data using a second drawing method that converts print data in the PDL format to raster image data; 
 a comparator configured to compare the first raster image data to the second raster image data; 
 a drawing processor configured to convert the print data in PDL format to print raster data to be output by the image forming apparatus to a recording medium; and 
 a printing controller configured to control output of the print raster data, based on a result of the comparator comparing the first raster image data to the second raster image data, 
 wherein the first drawing processor is controlled to convert the variable drawing object to the first raster image data using the first drawing method before the drawing processor converts the print data in PDL format to the print raster data, 
 wherein the second drawing processor is controlled to convert the variable drawing object to the second raster image data using the second drawing method before the drawing processor converts the print data in PDL format to the print raster data, and 
 wherein the printing controller is further configured to control the drawing processor to output the print raster data in response to the result of the comparator indicating that the first raster image data matches the second raster image data and control the drawing processor to withhold output of the print raster data in response to the result of the comparator indicating that the first raster image data does not match the second raster image data. 
 
     
     
       2. The image forming apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the variable drawing object comprises a drawing object that is unique to a page of the print data from among the drawing objects of the print data. 
     
     
       3. The image forming apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein the first drawing processor is further configured to select the variable drawing object from among the drawing objects of the print data in the PDL format, and
 wherein the second drawing processor is further configured to select the variable drawing object from among the drawing objects of the print data in the PDL format. 
 
     
     
       4. The image forming apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the first drawing processor is further configured to select the variable drawing object from among the drawing objects of the print data in the PDL format, and
 wherein the second drawing processor is further configured to select the variable drawing object from among the drawing objects of the print data in the PDL format. 
 
     
     
       5. The image forming apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the variable drawing object comprises a drawing object that is reused among variable portions of a plurality of pages of the print data from among the drawing objects of the print data. 
     
     
       6. The image forming apparatus according to  claim 5 , wherein the first drawing processor is further configured to select the variable drawing object from among the drawing objects of the print data in the PDL format, and
 wherein the second drawing processor is further configured to select the variable drawing object from among the drawing objects of the print data in the PDL format. 
 
     
     
       7. The image forming apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the variable drawing object comprises a character region from among the drawing objects of the print data. 
     
     
       8. The image forming apparatus according to  claim 7 , wherein the first drawing processor is further configured to select the variable drawing object from among the drawing objects of the print data in the PDL format, and
 wherein the second drawing processor is further configured to select the variable drawing object from among the drawing objects of the print data in the PDL format. 
 
     
     
       9. The image forming apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the printing controller is further configured to withhold output of the print raster data by stopping printing. 
     
     
       10. The image forming apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the first drawing method is Adobe Portable Document Format Print Engine (APPE), and
 wherein the second drawing method is Configurable Postscript Interpreter (CPSI). 
 
     
     
       11. The image forming apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the first drawing processor is further configured to convert only the variable drawing object from among the drawing objects of the print data in the PDL format to the first raster image data using the first drawing method, and
 wherein the second drawing processor is further configured to convert only the variable drawing object from among the drawing objects of the print data in the PDL format to the second raster image data using the second drawing method. 
 
     
     
       12. An image forming method comprising:
 receiving print data in page description language (PDL) format; 
 converting a variable drawing object selected from among drawing objects of the print data in the PDL format to first raster image data using a first drawing method that converts print data in the PDL format to raster image data; 
 converting the variable drawing object to second raster image data using a second drawing method that converts print data in the PDL format to raster image data; 
 comparing the first raster image data to the second raster image data; 
 converting the print data in PDL format to print raster data to be output by the image forming apparatus to a recording medium; and 
 outputting the print raster data, based on a result of the comparing, 
 wherein the converting the variable drawing object to the first raster data comprises convert the variable drawing object to the first raster image data using the first drawing method before the converting the print data in PDL format to the print raster data, 
 wherein the converting the variable drawing object to the second raster data comprises convert the variable drawing object to the second raster image data using the second drawing method before the converting the print data in PDL format to the print raster data, and 
 wherein the outputting comprises outputting the print raster data in response to the result of the comparing indicating that the first raster image data matches the second raster image data and withholding output of the print raster data in response to the result of the comparing indicating that the first raster image data does not match the second raster image data. 
 
     
     
       13. The method according to  claim 12 , wherein the variable drawing object comprises a drawing object that is unique to a page of the print data from among the drawing objects of the print data. 
     
     
       14. The method according to  claim 12 , further comprising:
 selecting the variable drawing object from among the drawing objects of the print data in the PDL format. 
 
     
     
       15. The method according to  claim 12 , wherein the variable drawing object comprises a drawing object that is reused among variable portions of a plurality of pages of the print data from among the drawing objects of the print data. 
     
     
       16. The method according to  claim 12 , wherein the variable drawing object comprises a character region from among the drawing objects of the print data. 
     
     
       17. The method according to  claim 12 , wherein the withholding output of the print raster data comprises:
 stopping printing. 
 
     
     
       18. The method according to  claim 12 , wherein the first drawing method is Adobe Portable Document Format Print Engine (APPE), and
 wherein the second drawing method is Configurable Postscript Interpreter (CPSI). 
 
     
     
       19. The method according to  claim 12 , wherein the converting the variable drawing object using the first drawing method comprises converting only the variable drawing object from among the drawing objects of the print data in the PDL format to the first raster image data using the first drawing method, and
 wherein the converting the variable drawing object using the second drawing method comprises converting only the variable drawing object from among the drawing objects of the print data in the PDL format to the second raster image data using the second drawing method. 
 
     
     
       20. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing a program causing a computer to execute a process for forming an image, the process comprising:
 receiving print data in page description language (PDL) format; 
 converting a variable drawing object selected from among drawing objects of the print data in the PDL format to first raster image data using a first drawing method that converts print data in the PDL format to raster image data; 
 converting the variable drawing object to second raster image data using a second drawing method that converts print data in the PDL format to raster image data; 
 comparing the first raster image data to the second raster image data; 
 converting the print data in PDL format to print raster data to be output by the image forming apparatus to a recording medium; and 
 outputting the print raster data, based on a result of the comparing, 
 wherein the converting the variable drawing object to the first raster data comprises convert the variable drawing object to the first raster image data using the first drawing method before the converting the print data in PDL format to the print raster data, 
 wherein the converting the variable drawing object to the second raster data comprises convert the variable drawing object to the second raster image data using the second drawing method before the converting the print data in PDL format to the print raster data, and 
 wherein the outputting comprises outputting the print raster data in response to the result of the comparing indicating that the first raster image data matches the second raster image data and withholding output of the print raster data in response to the result of the comparing indicating that the first raster image data does not match the second raster image data.